Developer- and Publisher-specific Articles: PS3

Yakuza 0 localization producer Scott Strichart gives the lowdown in the latest video for the upcoming origin story. Set in the 1980s, the game follows the rise of two series staples, Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima, as they redeem themselves and proceed to climb the ranks of the underworld.

Sega is looking to match the glitz of Tokyo circa 1988 with a gussied-up pre-order and launch copy of Yakuza 0. To match Kazuma Kiryu’s transition from debt collector to real estate powerbroker and Goro Majima’s to manager of The Grand Cabaret, the special edition will come with everything a player needs to feel business official. In addition to the game, players will get a stainless steel business card holder, complete with tattoo designs, and three business cards: Tachibana Real Estate for Kazuma Kiryu, Cabaret Grand for Goro Majima, and another for cabaret club hostesses Sunshine. There’s also a new trailer showing the beginning of Kiryu’s storyline, posted below. Unfortunately, this has to end on a downer: Sega reiterated that there are no plans for a PC version.

Zen Studios has released two packs of tables featuring heroes and villains for Marvel Pinball. The tables are available across their console and PC lines, with the mobile versions getting them on Thursday. Ms. Marvel, Black Widow, Squirrel Girl, and others make appearances. On one table, Black Widow and Madame Masque must keep the Cosmic Cube balls from breaking to avoid an alternate reality dominated by the Soviet Union. On another, Bombshell and Ms. Marvel duke it while Squirrel Girl and Spider-Gwen assist from the sidelines.

Aksys Games will be releasing the next entry in the BlazBlue line, Central Fiction, this November. Arc System Works’ long-running 2D fighter series will be returning digitally and physically to PS3 and PS4. The upcoming entry will feature revamped mechanics, along with a new story, levels, modes, and brawlers, with the total roster surpassing 33 characters. A $129.99 bundle has also gone up for pre-order that packs the Fighting Commander along with a copy of the game. The Sony- and Arc System Works-licensed Hori controller features “the industry’s best” directional pad, six large buttons, turbo functions, a 10-foot cable, and “improved ergonomics.” It is also compatible for PS3 and PC (with XInput).

Persona 5 is less than half a year away, and Atlus is already getting primed for its North American release. Today the studio revealed the SteelBook Launch Edition. The themed pack will feature a portrait of the cast on the outside, and a second design featuring the Phantom Thieves on the inside. Prepare your shelves accordingly.

The game adaptation of popular anime Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness has been released for PS4 and PS Vita. Set in a dystopian future, players follow agents of Division 1 as they set out to investigate cases involving potential criminals. In an era of over-quantification, everything can be studied and recorded, including one’s likelihood to break the law. Those with high Crime Coefficients are deemed dangerous, but in following up leads, the Inspectors require the help of high-risk Enforcers, fellow agents who themselves have high Crime Coefficients.

After eight years, Nordic Games has decided to take full advantage of their 2013 asset acquisition of THQ and reincorporate themselves as THQ Nordic. The change comes as the company looks to enter their next phase and fully embrace their IPs, as they seek to “align them with the very best development resources to expand upon them with the level of experience that communities and established fan bases expect and deserve.” The studio currently has 23 ongoing projects, 13 of which have not been revealed publicly. According to the release, the majority of those that haven’t been announced are based on THQ properties. It seems as though Darksiders II will be getting plenty of company.

NIS has released a new trailer for the upcoming game adaptation of Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness. The video introduces the anime’s dystopian world, which players will get an additional look at whenever they purchase the game, as all versions will come with the first two episodes (subtitled) of the first season through PSN. A handful of translated images have also been released, offering a first look at the game in English.

Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters is returning later this summer as Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters Daybreak: Special Gigs. Scheduled to launch on September 20, the mixed release will be available digitally and physically for PS4, and digitally for PS3 and PS Vita. The hybrid role-playing game set within a visual novel will once again task players with driving evil spirits out of the city as a ghost hunter. The new version will feature an expanded storyline with additional characters and extra chapters that are estimated to push the play time past the 30-hour mark.

Sega has announced that Yakuza 0 will be available digitally and physically on January 24 for PS4. Note that, despite also being a PS3 title in Japan, the game will hit stateside only for PS4. Set in 1988, players will follow a young Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima as they climb the ranks of the underworld in Kamurocho, Tokyo. Kiryu must clear his name after being blamed for a debt-collection assignment that went awry, while Goro must complete a series of trials to rejoin his old clan. In addition to earning cash from and spending it at Discos, Telephone Clubs, and Pocket Circuit car races, the two will be busting heads with new abilities and moves.